One Motorcyle Show - 21 Helmets

Here's something a little bit left of field. Thor Drake from See See motorcycles has organised a 'helmet art show' which is part of the upcoming One Motorcycle Show in Portland. The free event will be on February 10th - 11th and if it's anything like previous years then there'll be loads of outstanding rides to gawk at as well. On the helmet side of things, it's a concept named '21 Helmets' and is pretty simple, 21 artists paint 21 different Bell 500 helmets. Below is a selection of some of the lids that are part of the exhibition plus a sweet little video Thor put together to promote the event. So if you're in the Portland area around those times, you'd be off your head to miss this one. 

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Pipeburn Poll: Full-Face, Open Face, Or None At All?

I've always held a fascination for American's ability to put personal freedoms above all else. There's few other examples of the culture that take you so quickly to the true heart of the country and which speaks more strongly about what it means to be an American. And in my eyes at least, nothing speaks more strongly about America's dedication to personal freedoms than their helmet laws. Now please don't get me wrong, I'm no spokesperson for the Helmet Law Defense League. I have never ridden a bike without a helmet and I never intend to. I value my brain too much for that. It's what I use to love my family, earn a living, and enjoy a country ride in autumn as the sun sets. But I've always been one for standing up for a person's right to choose.

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Long-term review: 2010 Icon Airframe Construct Helmet

“How big is your head?” Scott asked me. Smart arse. I waited for the punch line. “No, seriously. What size helmet do you take?” Oh, right. “I’ve got an Icon helmet," he said, "they’ve given it to us to review. It’s a large. You want to do it?” I was stoked. We’ve done reviews before on Pipeburn, but mostly of our own gear – which is a double-edged sword as you get plenty of time to really get to know a piece of kit, but at the same time you wouldn’t have purchased it if you didn’t think it was the best option.

But this was different; a brand new helmet that I had no intention of purchasing was now in my hot little hands awaiting a full and detailed dissection. And that’s exactly what this is. I’ve got five month’s worth of detailed notes and a laptop with a fully charged battery - let's do this.

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Bubble Visor Helmets

Looks like Marty McFly took a trip back to the 70's in his DeLorean and brought back some helmets. These retro looking bubble visor helmets will be available soon in the Wrenchmonkees shop. Alternatively, you can buy NOS clear bubble shields from Low Brow Customs and simply attach it to a Biltwell helmet – making it even more of a novelty. Check out the Bubble Visor blog for more bikes and bubbles. [Photos by Wrenchmonkees]

2010 Davida 'Ninety Two' Helmet

It's great to see a retro styled small shell helmet with safety features. English company Davida have just released this new lightweight classic open face helmet. Weighing just over 1100g it's called the Davida 'Ninety Two' and is a small–profile helmet similar to those from the 70's. Like all of Davida's products it's been manufactured to the highest quality and carries a British Safety Standard certification. It's safe because it's made with a fiberglass composite shell reinforced with Kevlar, a polystyrene shock absorption liner with additional protection around the ears and a detachable washable fabric interior lining. Check out the Davida dealer map to find your nearest stockist. [Photo by Ben Part]

Bell Custom 500 Range

Back in 1954 Bell founder Roy Richter formed his first helmet out of fiberglass and named it the "500". That humble helmet was to change the entire modern motorsport helmet industry. Bell's 2010 Custom 500 range pays homage to these original classics, although luckily now they are designed with loads more protective technology. The '500' range are some of the coolest lids we have seen since the Steve McQueen replica that Bell released last year, and unlike the Biltwell helmets these are DOT-compliant. Most of the designs are limited editions and can be purchased through The Bell Store which post worldwide. The 'Bloodshot Eye' design in particular looks like it was inspired by legendary skateboard and rock poster artist Jim Phillips. Check out his amazing range of work if you appreciate this style of illustration.

Biltwell Megaflake Helmets

These are the new mouthwatering 'Megaflake' Biltwell helmets. Biltwell says "The flake is much bigger and crisper, hence the Megaflake name. It's the same lightweight and comfortable shell but with a few significant upgrades. Vintage style chrome strip around the opening is pure class and only available on a Biltwell. The new liner now has detail stitching and contrasting ventilated panels in the top. The embossed goggle strap has a new shape and an improved snap". We love some of the names including Sunburst Orange, Root Beer Mega Flake Brown and my favourite Disco Gold. Unfortunately they are not safety approved and are supposed to be for novelty purpose only. To see the full range of tasty colours visit the Biltwell website. 

Steve McQueen Replica Helmet

Everyone seems to be riding on the Steve McQueen gravy train these days. Why wouldn't they, his name sells better than sex does. Now Bell have released a replica of the helmet worn by the US Team in the 1964 ISDT (International Six-Day Trial) and the most famous member of this team was 'The King of Cool'. These classic Jet helmets are individually hand painted to order which explains the price tag of over $A600 (which is still a lot cheaper than a Ruby Atelier). They can be purchased through the english store Grand Prix Legends. 

French designed helmet?

Everyone has seen the beautiful Ruby Atelier helmets. Recently Ruby got together with high fashion designer Martin Margiela to create an exclusively limited signature helmet. The white surface is covered with signatures of every member of Margiela’s design team. This so called designer has ripped off my design. I first created this design when I was at school and I broke my arm by falling off my bmx. All my mates signed my white cast and some even drew dirty pictures (and they could draw better than Margiela's staff). See you in court Mr Margiela!